Receptacle and opening means therefor



July 20, 1965 L. FRIED ETAL 3,1 ,7

RECEPTAGLE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 10, 1960 I 5Sheets-Sheet 1 IN'VEN TURJ Lows F ned BY Angelo Ralph O'Andreo-- July20, 1965 FRIED ETAL RECEPI'ACLE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 10, 1960 INVENT Loui Fri BY AngeloRolphD Andrea JMbnm arvy:

July 20, 1965 L. FRIED ETAL 4 RECEPTACLE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR IOriginal Filed Nov. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 11.

I37 I24 ue A I E 126 i we Louis Fried Angelo Ralph D'Andreu ATTORNEYSJuly 20, 1965 L. FRlED ETAL 3,195,764

RECEPTACLE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 10, 1960 5Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 17.

F|G 2 INVENTORS Louis Fried BY Angelo Ralph D'Andreo ATTORN EYS July 0,1965 FRIED ETAL 3,195,764

REGEPTAGLE AND OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 10, 1960INYENTORS Lou+s- Frhlgd 245 BY Angelo Ralph Dlfindreo A T TORNEYS 5Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.22. FIG. 25.

United States Patent 0 3,195,764 RECEPTACLE AND 'GPENING MEANS THEREFORLouis Fried, 67 Munn Ave, East Orange, N..ll., and

Angelo Ralph DAndrea, 6357 Greene St, Philadelphia,

Pa. Continuation of application Ser. No. 79, 62, Nov. 14 1969. Thisapplication Jan. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 165,736

35 Claims. '(Cl. 220-54) The present application is a continuation ofour copending application Ser. No. 70,902, filed November 10, 1960, forReceptacle and Opening Means Therefor" and which application was :acontinuation of application Ser. No. 633,771, filed January 11, 1957,and co-pending application Ser. No. 781,023, filed December 17, 1958,for Receptacle and Combined Quick Opening Means.

This invention relates to the class of receptacles.

While the invention of this application is applicable to an infinitevariety of receptacles of any size or shape and constructed from metalor fiberboard lined with metal, plastic, or any other suitable material,it is particularly and primarily designed for or applicable toreceptacles of metal or other materials suitable for merchandisingfluent commodities, either dry or liquid or semi-solid or semi-fluidmaterials, as, for example, canned fruits or vegetables where solidparticles and liquid may be together.

In the art of metallic receptacles, a number of different ways have beenheretofore devised for ellecting the opening of the same and such waysof opening have also had as a particular object to effect the openingoperation quickly and easily. The different Ways heretofore devised foropening metallic receptacles embody the use of devices such as keyswhich are employed for removing tear strips, or metal cuttinginstruments for cutting away a .portion of the wall of the receptacle toprovide an opening therein through which the contents may be discharged.In those devices for effecting the opening of a can or other type ofreceptacle where a tear strip is provided for the use of a key to efiectits removal from the wall of the receptacle, various types ofconstruction have been resorted to to avoid the formation of a raw metaledge which might present a hazard to the user and one such type ofconstruction involves the special formation of the wall which provides alip or smooth-edge portion with which the removed top portion of thereceptacle, functioning as a lid or cover, can be engaged to keep thereceptacle closed after some of the contents have been removed as, forexample, in the well-known coffee can construction. However, this latterconstruction involves operations in the construction of the can whichmaterially increase the cost of production.

In the light of the foregoing, one object of the present invention is toprovide a can or other receptacle wherein means are provided for openingthe same with a mini mum of eifort and at the same time form a largeopening through which the contents of the receptacle can "be readilydispensed.

In the use of cutting and punching openers, Where some form of metalcutting implement is employed, only a small portion or section of thereceptacle wall is cut away or removed and while this may provide a,sufiicient opening or dispensing liquid material from the receptacle,such an opening is not or may not be satisfactory or suitable fordispensing heavy or thick commodities or those commodities in whichthere are large pieces of material, such as vegetables and the like.

Also, in the use of cutting or punching openers, where some form ofmetal cutting implement is employed during the operation of cutting andpunching an opening in the metal wall of the receptacle or container,metal particles 3,l95,7fi4 Patented July 20, 1965 which may be releasedas a result of the cutting or punching operation fall into the contentsof the container or receptacle and these particles, being almostmicroscopic in size, become immersed in the contents and, in the case offood or other edible material, becoming mixed with the material areconsumed by the user. This is a very dangerous situation since thesesmall metal particles may seriously affect the health of the consumer.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide areceptacle or receptacle wall which is constructed in a new mannerwhereby all or a substantial portion of the wall may be completelyremoved without the necessity of employing a key, cutters, or othersimilar mechanical opening devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle having ameans whereby substantially the entire end wall of the receptacle can beremoved easily and quickly so that no difliculty will be encountered inremoving the contents of the receptacle even though the same may includelarge bodies.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new receptaclestructure wherein a wall thereof is formed in a novel manner whereby asubstantial portion of such wall may be easily and quickly removed byone quick motion or jerk applied to a tongue or finger piece carried bythe wall and grasped with the fingers of a hand. Such tongue or fingerpiece may constitute an integral part of the removable Wall portion,stamped or otherwise cut therefrom or it may consist of a separate pieceof material applied to such wall portion and secured thereto in asuitable manner as by spot-welding or the like.

The invention, by which the various objects are attained, contemplatesthe provision in a receptacle in the form of a can or the like andconstructed of metal or other suitable material wherein a substantialportion of a wall is formed all in one piece with a grasping means bywhich to apply a pull thereto and wherein such wall portion isdelineated for separation from a surrounding part of the wall by a cutor slit in such manner that when a pull is applied to the graspingmeans, the Wall portion so delineated will come out cleanly and withoutleaving raw, exposed, or rough edges and, by reason of such cleanseparation from the encircling or surrounding wall part, the possibilityof metal particles being separated from the wall and entering thecontents of the receptacle is eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved receptaclestructure in the form of a can wherein an end wall is partially cutthrough and partially scored along a line defining the portion of thewall to be removed, with a tongue member attached to the portion sodefined and having a prescribed relationship to the defining cut sothat, upon the grasping of the tongue between the fingers and theapplication thereto of a quick pull outward or a quick jerk, the cutportion of the wall will be bent out and a force will be applied onopposite sides of the cut to elfect the easy and rapid tearing of thematerial of the wall along the score lines to permit the entire wallportion to be removed and the invention further embodies the inclusionof an auxiliary wall sheet or membrane lining the underside of theremovable wall portion in such a manner as to prevent the leakage of thecontents of the receptacle through the cut portion of the wall, suchauxiliary wall sheet being thin and easily ruptured or cut away afterthe outside or covering Wall portion is removed. Such lining sheet ormembrane may be in the form of a metallic foil such as aluminum or thelike or it may take the form of a suitable plastic.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a wall structurehaving a portion thereof designed to be fully or completely removed froma surrounding part and wherein such complete removal of the Wall portionis PM! facilitated by outlining or defining the removable portion by aline of weakness which may be in the form of a number of slits in thewall separated one from the other by integral portions joining theremovable portion of the wall to the outside surrounding portion or suchline of weakness may be in the form of a single slit and a continuousweakening score line, with a pull tab fixed to the Wall and having anend terminating adjacent to the slit whereby, upon application of anoutward pull to the tab, the portion of the wall to be removed willfirst be bent outwardly along the slit and then the Wall will be tornaway along the score line or through the integral portions joining it tothe part of the receptacle wall lying outside of the removable portion.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved receptacleor container construction of the character described and having aportion of the wall thereof removable in the manner described andwherein the end wall is adapted to be shaped, as by stamping or thelike, from a single piece of metal in such a way that it is capable ofbeing stacked so as to be fed from a conventional feeding magazine of acan-closing or lidding machine.

It is also an object to provide an end wall structure of the. characterstated wherein the metal of the wall which joins the removable portionto the surrounding outside portion, will be torn or separated from thesurrounding outside portion, in close proximity to the rim of the canand. removed with a minimum of effort to give access to the underlyingor auxiliary thin protective sheet of metal foil, such as aluminum orthe like or of a suitable plastic, which is adapted to be easily brokenor cut out.

1 The invention will be best understood from a considerationof thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of the specification, wherein;

' FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a conventional metal can showingone end wall thereof constructed in accordance with one embodiment ofthepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the construction shown in FIGURE 1and illustrating the first step in the process of removing thedetachable portion of the wall.

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating in perspective a further stage in theprocess of removing the wall portion and showing the wall portion partlydetached.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective exploded view showing the detachable portionof the wall completely separated and illustrating the interior frangiblelining which covers the inner side of the entire wall.

' FIGURE 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 5-5of FIGURE 1, the figure being on an enlargedscale. a

FIGURE 6 is a view in top plan of the can wall per se, that is, beforeit is applied to a can body.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 ofFIGURE 6 and on an enlarged scale, showing two of the can tops orendwalls in nested relation.

FIGURE 8 is a view illustrating one way in which the removed portion ordisk section of the end wall may be folded or bent into a form where itcan be used as a cutting implement for breaking and cutting out thefrangible liner.

FIGURE 9 illustrates the complete removal of the grasping tongue or tab,providing in the tab a cutting implement which may be used for removingthe frangible liner.

FIGURE 10 is a reproduction of an actual micro-photograph of atransverse section through the seam between a lid and side wall of a canhaving a frangible foil liner secured against the underside of the lidin accordance with the present invention, the section havingapproximately 50 magnification.

FIGURE 11 is a view in top plan of a receptacle illustrating anothermethod of forming the end wall whereby to accomplish the objects of thepresent invention, the end Wall here being formed with a double slit andscore lines connecting the ends of the slits.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective View showing a receptacle in which the middleportion has been broken away, and showing the manner of grasping thepull tab or tongue after the latter has been bent up, preparatory toapplying the necessary quick jerk or pull for eifecting the removal ofthe major portion of the end Wall.

FIGURE 13 is. a perspective view corresponding to the top portion of thereceptacle shown in FIGURE 12 and illustrating the manner in which theremovable portion of the wall is bent transversely in the tearing outthereof. FIGURE 14 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale takensubstantially on the line 14-14 of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale takensubstantially on the line 15-15 of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 16 is a perspective exploded view illustrating the removed endwall portion and showingn the underlying frangible liner sheet orauxiliary wall.

FIGURE 17 is a view in top plan corresponding to FIG- URE 11, butshowing the top or end wall of the receptacle with a single slit andscore line defining the removable portion of the wall.

FIGURE 18 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 12 showing the manner oftearing the end wall.

FIGURE 19 is a View corresponding to FIGURE 13 and showing the bendingand partially torn wall illustrated in FIGURE 18.

FIGURE 20 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantiallyon the line 2020 of FIGURE 17.

FIGURE 21 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 16 and showing thecompletely removed end wall portion and the inner frangible lining wall.

FIGURE 22 is a view in top plan of a receptacle showing the tab which isto be grasped by the fingers of the 22, but showing the use of a singleslit in the end wall defining a. portion of the part to be removed andjoining at its ends with a single continuous score line.

FIGURE 26 is a plan view illustrating another form and manner ofattaching a pulling tab or tongue to the removable portion of the endwall.

FIGURE 27 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG.- URE 23 andillustrating the rivet means for securing the pulling tab or tongue tothe removable portion of the end wall.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the present inventionhas been illustrated in association with a conventional cylindricalmetal can of the type which may be used for merchandising various foodproducts, which products maybe either completely liquid in characterorsemi-solid or liquid with 'solid material therein. While theillustration is made of a cylindrical can and the following descriptionwill be directed to a can of the form shown, it is to be understood thatthe invention is not necessarily limited to application to a receptacleof this. character or to any specific type of receptacle but it will beobvious that the invention can be applied to receptacles of other formand may be used in association with receptacles carrying fluent dry,liquid, solid or frozen material.

.In addition to the foregoing, the construction of the receptacle inaccordance with the invention is such that it may be used formerchandising carbonated liquids or s eaves liquids in which gases aredissolved and as a result of which the receptacle would be subjected toconsiderable internal pressure.

In addition to the construction enabling the receptacle to withstandinternal pressure as stated, it has been found that a high degree ofvacuum can be established within the receptacle without rupturing theliner or auxiliary wall sheet or membrane underlying the end wall. Theconstruction illustrated has been found to withstand a vacuum or reducedpressure within the receptacle of 16", which is the highest commercialvacuum obtainable and is considerably more than that to be found in thesocalled vacuum packed receptacles.

The description will first be directed to the novel features of theinvention as embodied in FIGS. 1 to 10, inclusive, of the drawings. Inthese figures, the numeral generally designates a can type of receptaclewherein the cylindrical side wall is designated 12 and one end wall isgenerally designated 14. The other or opposite end wall, which isgenerally designated 16, is constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, the detailed description of which follows:

In accordance with the invention, the readily openable wall 16 ispressed as an integral one-piece unit from a sheet of metal or othersuitable material and in desired size as, for example, a disk 13, whenthe wall unit is to be applied to the end of a can. This disk is shapedto provide the central circular plate or head portion 20 which isencircled by the peripheral Wall 21 and this wall merges with anoutwardly extending relatively wide flange 22, reference now being hadto FIGS. 6 and 7, where the wall unit is shown as prepared ready forapplication to an end of a can body. This peripheral flange 22terminates in the downwardly and inwardly turned encircling lip 23.

The central removable or detachable part or portion is connected by arupturable connection to a marginal portion of the can top. This centralremovable or detachable part or portion which has been referred to asthe head or plate 20, is cut through on a circular line in closeproximity to the encircling wall portion 21, this circular out linebeing interrupted or divided into a series of ar cuate parts or sectionseach of which is designated 24. These parts 24 are in the form ofweakened delineations or very fine slits, the edges of which lie closetogether or substantially in contact, but the material is cut entirelythrough in the arcuate parts or portions which the numeral 24designates. The ends of these arcuate portions or slits are closelyspaced to one another and there are thus provided the narrow uncut orunbroken joining portions or tongues 25 which maintain the completeonepiece form of the wall unit and the width of each tongue beingmaterially less than the length of each one of said slits.

In the present illustration of the disk form of the wall, the integralor uncut portions of the metal between the central removable part orportion 20 and the outer marginal part or portion which is permanentlyfastened to the edge of the can wall 12, have been shown as six innumber, but while this number of connections is preferred, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited in this respect asthe number of connections may be selected in accordance with the weightor character of the metal or metallic covered fiberboard or othermaterial used in accordance with the size or shape of the receptacle orcontainer so that the relatively easy removal of the central part 25 canbe effected when the desired pull is applied thereto.

Also the interrupted circular out line made up of the portions 24 hasbeen illustrated as lying close in to the angle 21 between the removablepart 20 and the encircling wall 21. While this positionin of the slitportions or interrupted circular out line is preferred, it is to beunderstood here also that the slits can be placed farther out from theWall 21 into a marginal portion of the said head portion 2%, if desired,without departing from the spirit of the invention. One advantage inplacing the slit portions 24 close to the angle 21' will be apparentfrom the description hereinafter given.

In the shaping of the disk to form the can wall, there is also formed ofbendable pull tab or tongue 26 which is provided to be grasped, liftedand pulled for effecting the breaking away and removal of the centralpart 20. This tab 26 is of a length slightly less than the radius of thecircular removable part 21 and the free end of the tab is located atapproximately the center of the removable part while the side edgesthereof terminate at a suitable distance inwardly from the interruptedcircular slit made up of the parts 24 to provide enough material toprevent the tongue or tab being torn out before the joining portions 25are broken or ruptured. These portions of material lying between theends of the side edges of the tab or tongue 26, or in other words, lyingbetween the parallel cut lines 26 which define the sides of the tab ortongue, are designated 27. It is understood that the size or shape ofthe tab or tongue can be changed to fit the particular application as tosize or shape of the receptable or container and it is obvious that thepull tab merely serves to enable one to pull the central portion 20 ofthe top off or away from the can and thus quite readily and effectivelyopen the can. It will be noted that the central portion of the top 20 isdefined by the circular line of the parts 24 and that the pull tab 26has a portion thereof which may be denoted by the portion of thematerial substantially between or at the ends of the converging leadlines 27 in FIG. 6 and which in eifect is the position where-at the saidpull tab is permanently fixed or joined to the central portion of thetop 20 adjacent to the perimetrical portion thereof, viz., adjacent theperimeter of the central portion of the top 20. It will also be seenfrom FIG. 6 and the other figures of the drawing that the pull tab has afree portion which is directed inwardly toward a perimetrical portion ofthe top remote from the perimetrical portion to which the firstmentioned portion of the tab is fixed or joined.

After the disk has been cut to form the tab or tongue 26, the tab ispressed to have a slight outward bow as indicated at 28. This raises theside edges 29 of the tab or tongue slightly above the surface of theremovable central part 20 as shown in FIG. 1, while the free end of thetab is maintained in the plane of the part 20 and thus the end of thetab is protected so that it cannot catch accidentally on any object andbe pulled out or" place while at the same time, by this slight bowing ofthe tab intermediate its ends, the side edges are raised to a sufficientextent to permit one to engage the nails of a thumb and forefinger underthe sides of the tab so as to bend it outwardly to the necessary extentto permit grasping the tab between the thumb and forefinger in themanner indicated in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The inner or under side of the disk forming the end wall unit is coveredby a sheet of any suitable frangible material such as aluminum foil or aplastic, which sheet of material is designated 30. The frangible sheet30 extends over the full width of the disk and into the channel formedby the wall 21, the flange 22 and the lip 23. The under side of theflange 22 has a suitable layer of adhesive 31 applied thereto and thesheet of frangible material extends partly over or onto the layer ofadhesive as indicated at 32 in FIG. 7 to be folded into the seam formedwhen the disk is joined to the end of the circular wall 12 of the can inthe usual or conventional manner.

When the disk top is so applied, the can will be hermetically sealed byreason of the particular manner in which the adhesive and the peripheralportion of the frangible sheet are compressed and held in the formedseam.

As is conventional in connection with the application of tops or coversto receptacles and particularly in connection with the securing of topsto metal cans, the can wall is provided with an outstanding flange whichenters figures, FIG. is a copy or reproduction of'an actualmicrophotograph of a section of the seam formed between the can wall andthe lid of the can construction herein described. It will be seen thatthe part designated .22 in FIGS. 6 and 7 is bent or folded over and downand the lipdesignated 23 is turned inwardly and upwardly and is securedbetween the can wall 12 and the downwardly turned flange 12 of the wall;In this turning and folding operation which forms the seam, the metalfoil forming the frangible sealing element is compressed between theupper end of the can wall 12 and the wall'portion 21 of the lid or top,as indicated at 30', and a portion of the periphery of the frangiblesealing member extends over the top of the can wall and is squeezed andforced downwardly to a substantial degree between the outer side of thedownturned flange 1'2 and the bent down portion 22. As shown in FIG. 10,this peripheral portion is drawn in this squeezing operation between theportions 12' and 22 to a tapered thickness as indicated at 319' and theedge terminates approximately half way down the height of the seam or ofthe downwardly turned portion 12' of the can flange. terial 31 is alsocompressed and squeezed down to fill the angle at 22 which is formed bythe bending back or bending up of the lip 23 of the can lid so that thisangle is completely filled with the sealing substance 31 and the sealingsubstance so distributed in the angle together with the compression andextension or elongation of the frangible material 30 results in theformation of a hermetic seal between the wall of the can and the appliedlid.

In the operation of applying the lid which causes a drawing of thefrangible sheet radially outwardly, compressing and squeezing it betweenthe folded portions as described, it will be seen that the portion ofthe frangible sheetlying across the central part will be drawn tightlyagainst the surface of such part and eifectively cover the l slits 24vand the slit forming or outlining the tongue 26 to effectively closethese out portions of the lid.

The can lids or end walls are so constructed, as will be seen uponreference to FIG. 7, that they may be'stacked one upon another and thusfed from a magazine to the conventional closing machine. After the lidor wall 16 has been applied to the can body and sealed by rolling theflanges 22 and 12' with the lip 23 of the lid, the frangible protectingsheet 30 will lie fiat across the under side of the lid andthus preventthe escape of any of the liquid content of the can through the slitportions 24 or through the slit outlining the pull tab or tongue 26.

In the process of opening the can, the tab 26 is engaged at its raisedor bowed side edges in the manner hereinbefore stated and when the freeend has been lifted sufli ciently, it is grasped between the fingers asshown in FIG. 2 and then by applying a quick sharp outward pull to thetab, the connecting portions between the central part 20 and the wall 21will be ripped or torn apart, as indicated at 25', so that the entirecentral portion 20 of the lid will come free, as illustrated in FIG. 4.This will expose the frangible liner sheet which protected theiuner'side of the removable portion and covered the slits in the mannerdescribed.

When the interrupted circular cut line made up of the several slits 24is placed close to or directly in the angle or corner 21', after thepart 20 has been torn loose, the exposed edge 34 of the metal will lieso close to the wall 21 that the possibility of the person opening thecan The sealing or bonding ma- 7 receptacle or container, being cutthereon is reduced to a minimum.

The numeral 25" designates in'FIG. 4 the small points which remain afterthe tearing away of the metal in the portions 25. 7

After removing the central part 20, the protective frangible sheet canbe easily ruptured and either torn out or cut away with any suitableimplement. For example, the removed plate 20 may have the tongue tornaway therefrom, leaving the very short rough edges 35, as shown in FIGS.8 and 9. The plate 20 may then be folded on a radial line passingthrough the center of the opening from which the tab or tongue 26 hasbeen removed and one of the points 36 thus obtained may be used topuncture the frangible sheet and cut it way around the edge 34. 1

In place of bending the plate portion 20 and using the points 36 to. cutaway the foil, use may be made of one of the edge portions 37 of thetongue 26 Where the metal has been torn across the portions 27 in theoperation of tearing the tongue away from the plate 20.

FIGS. 11 to 21 illustrate another embodiment of the invention inconnection with the manner in which the portion of the receptacle wall,here illustrated as an end wall, is delineated or marked off by a slitand a score line or by slits and score lines for easy, quick andcomplete, clean detachment from the surrounding part of the wallstructure. 1

This series of'figures is divided, for convenience of description, intotwo groups. The first group embodies FIGS. 11 to 16 and in thesefigures, the numeral generally designates a cylindrical receptacle orcan, the body of which is designated 112 and one end is designated 114and, as in the preceding described structure, is of'the usual disc formhaving its periphery joined to an end of the body wall 112 byconventional means such as a rolled seam or it may be joined in anyother desired or suitable manner.

The numeral 116 generally designates the opposite end wall of thereceptacle, constructed in accordance with the further embodiment of theinvention. This end wall 116 embodies the flat disc-like central portion118 which is joined to the wall 112 in the usual manner as by rolling orseaming the edge of the disc to the end of the wall as indicated at 120.This end wall 116 is pressed as an integral one-piece unit from a sheetof metal or other suitable material and in desired size and in thepressing operation, it is shaped to form the disc-like central piece orplate 113 encircled by the peripheral wall 122 which in the seamingoperation attaching the end wall or head to the can body is interfoldedas at 124 with an outwardly and downwardly folded peripheral portion 126of the can wall 112 in the accepted or conventional manner.

The disc portion 118 which lies inside of and joins the encircling wallportion 122 is cut through on a circular line in close proximity to thewall portion 122, in two places. These two out portions or slits aredesignated 128 and 130 and are at diametrically opposite sides of thedisc or head 118'and have only a short radial extent as compared withthe intervening circular portions between their ends.

These arcuate slits 128 and 130 extend equidistantly on opposite sidesof a diametrical line which coincides with the section indicating line1414. Between the adjacent ends of the two slits, the metal of the discor head 118 is deeply scored as indicated at 131 in FIG. 15. These scorelines 131 continue a circle of which the slits 128 and 130 form parts,as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 11. In the operation of stamping thewall 116 to form the slits, the score lines and the flange portion 122,the disc body 118 is cut through to form a tongue or tab 132. Thistongue 132 in the illustration of the embodiment of the invention underconsideration is formed with the longitudinal side edges 133 whichterminate in close proximity to the slit 128 as shown, while the innerend of g the tongue is formed with the rounded edge 134 which joins theside edges 133, as shown. Also, the tongue 132 is formed with its sideedges 133 equidistantly spaced on opposite sides of the diametrical linehereinbefore referred to and bisecting the slits 128 and 136.

In addition to the stamping of the central disc portion 18 of the end toform the tongue, the tongue itself is pressed so as to have a slightlongitudinal bow 135 midway of its ends as is clearly shown in FIG. l4.This very slight longitudinal bow causes the side edges 133 of thetongue to lie slightly above the top of the disc portion 118 therebymaking it easy for the person opening the can to grasp the tongue andbend it outwardly in the manner shown in FIG. 12.

The inner or under side of the end wall 116 is covered by a sheet of anysuitable frangible material such as aluminum foil, plastic or the likeand this sheet of material is designated 136. The sheet 136 isim-perforate and is initially of suilicient size that when it is placedagainst the under side of the end wall 116 or lid of the can, it willextend outwardly beyond the wall flange 122 and thus be folded into theseam 129 as indicated at 137, when the end wall, top or lid of the canis applied by conventional top or lid applying machinery.

Also in the procedure of applying the lid and the foil or frangiblesheet 136, a suitable adhesive or cement is interposed between theperipheral portion of the frangible sheet and the lid and on the underside of the frangible sheet at the periphery so as to form a hermeticseal or bond in the seam.

The frangible sheet 136 is drawn tightly against the under surface ofthe lid or end wall 116 through the area of the same as shown in FIG. 14and being irn-perforate, it forms a leak-proof seal over the opening 138which is formed in the operation of stamping the tab 132. Thus, it willbe seen that liquids within the receptacle, even those under heavypressure, will be prevented from escaping by reason of this frangibleliner sheet, but since the frangible sheet is thin and easily cut awaywhen the central or disc portion of the lid is removed, any suitablemeans may be used to puncture the foil or cut it out of the openingwhich will be formed. Even though the frangible sheet is of relativelythin character, it will not only withstand the outwardly directed forcesapplied thereto as a result of high pressures within the receptacle,but, as hereinbefore stated, a high degree of vacuum can be establishedin the receptacle without rupturing the frangible sheet, thereby makingthe receptacle particularly well adapted for use in the merchandising ofvacuum packed commodities, such as coffee, to give only one example.

In the operation of opening the receptacle, the tongue or tab 132 isgrasped as shown in FIG. 12 and bent upwardly and then by applying asharp pull or jerk to the tab, the portion of the removable disc part118 lying within the extent of the slit 128 and to which the outer endof the tab is attached, will easily come away and due to thecentralization of the outer end of the tab bet-ween the ends of the slit128, a balanced and equal pull will be ap plied at the ends of the slit128 to the scored part of the metal and the metal will readily tearalong and around the score lines to the ends of the other slit 13% whichlies opposite to the slit 128.

FIG. 13 illustrates the manner in which the disc portion 118 will bendup as it tears and FIG. 16 illustrates the large open area which isformed in the end wall or lid when the central disc portion 118 iscompletely removed, thus forming the pour or discharge opening 139 andexposing the frangible liner sheet 136 which can then be readily cut outas previously stated.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in thesecond group of FIGURES designated 17 to 21, the structure hereinbeforedescribed as shown in FIGS. 11 to 16, is substantially repeated exceptfor the manner in which the central part of the end wall, which lb is tobe opened, is formed. In these FIGURES 17 to 21, the can as a whole isdesignated 11% and the end wall corresponding to the wall 116 isgenerally designated 1.16, while the central part or disc portion of theend wall or lid which is to be removed is generally designated 118'.

In the shaping of this wall 116', the pull tab or tongue 132 is cut orstamped out in the same manner and in this stamping operation, the metalsheet from which the wall is stamped is slit in one place only, asindicated at 1449. This arcuate slit joins at its ends with the circularscore line Mill which extends from the end of the slit completely aroundthe disc portion 118' to the opposite end of the slit as shown in FIG.17.

It will be seen that the single slit 146 extends equal distances beyondthe longitudinal sides of the tongue 132' as is the case with respect tothe slit 12S and the tongue 132 so that when the tongue 132 is bent upand give-n a sharp pull, the strain will be applied to the metal equaldistances on opposite sides of the tongue and will pull up the metaldisc through the extent of the slit and cause the scored portion to tearalong the score line 141 at the same rate from the two ends of the slitand around the disc portion 118' so that the latter will come awaycleanly, as illustrated in FIG. 21.

In this second embodiment as shown particularly in FlG. 20, the pulltongue or tab 132' is bowed slightly intermediate the free and attachedends thereof as indicated at 142 so that the tongue can be readilygrasped and bent upwardly in the manner illustrated in FIG. 18.

In this latter embodiment the frangible liner sheet which covers theunder side of the end wall or lid 116' is designated 143 and is foldedin and connected to the periphery of the end wall or lid and the turneddown edge of the can wall 112 in the same way as described in connectionwith the previous embodiment.

When the major portion of the lid has been removed by the tearing awayof the central disc portion 118', the large pour opening 139 remains,exposing the frangible sheet for removal by a suitable means, ashereinbefore described.

FIGS. 22 to 26 illustrate an embodiment of the invention wherein theremovable disc-like central portion of the end wall is differentlyconstructed from the central portions 118 and 118' shown in thepreceding figures.

In FIG. 22 the removable central disc portion of the can end wall, heregenerally designated 116", is des ignated 144. This disc portion 144 iprovided with the diametrically opposite relatively short slits 145 and146 corresponding to the slits 128 and 138, and these two slits areseparated by the a-rcuate score lines 147, which with the arcuate slits,complete the circular periphery of the part 14 4 of the wall which isremovable.

The pull tongue for removing the part 144 is here designated 148 and asshown this tongue, instead of being cut or stamped from the metal of theremovable disc portion 14 constitutes a separate strip of metal whichlies upon the top of the portion 144 and is secured by spot welding asat 149, or in any other suitable manner, to the end which lies closelyadjacent to the slit 145. The tongue extends radially toward the centerof the removable portion 144 as shown and as in the other cases, it isequidistantly spaced at its sides from the adjacent ends of the slit 145so as to apply the desired balanced strain upon the metal when thetongue is lifted up and pulled outwardly so that the tearing of themetal will take place evenly along the two score lines 147 lying betweenthe slits 145 and 146.

FIGURE 27 is a sectional view of a portion of the top of a can,corresponding to the sectional view of FIG- URE 23, illustrating anothermeans, as hereinbefore referred to, of securing the pulling tab to theportion of the can wall, to be removed. In this figure the portion ofthe wall to be removed is designated 244 and the line of divisionbetween the pullout portion and the surrounding rim of the can top isdesignated 245. The pulling tab is snee /ea ll designated 254i and themeans illustrated-for securing the pulling tab to the pull-out portion244- is here illustrated as a rivet 249, as claimed.

In FIG. 25 the removable central disc portion of the end wall isdesignated 144 and here only a single slit bowed as at 150 so as to beelevated slightly from the surface of the removable portion 144. Whileno illustration is given, it is to be understood that the tongue 14%will be bowed outwardly slightly away from the removable portion 144' inthe same manner. This out-bowing of the tongue 348 not only facilitatesgrasping the tongue so as to pull outwardly upon the removable part ofthe end wall or lid, but it willbe seen upon reference to FIG. 24 thatsuch grasping of the end of the tongue is facilitated by applyingdownward pressure to the bowed portion 150 by a thumb I151, which willcause the end of the tongue to rise up slightly as indicated at 152 sothat the elevated end 152 can be caught by the tip of a finger 153 andthe tongue then readily bent upwardly to the necessary angle to enablethe person opening the receptacle to apply the desired pull or jerk tothe tongue and this pull or jerk must be directed upwardly and inwardlywith respect to the removable portion to thereby raise the peripheralpart of the removable portion bordering the slit nearest to where thetongue is attached.

In the formation of the slits and the score lines for the removableportions of the can tops or lids, it is important thatthe attached endor" the pull tongue be exactly centered between the ends of the slitnearest thereto so that as previously stated, the strain which will beapplied through the tongue to the removable portion of the lid will betransmitted with equal force or intensity to the metal at the ends ofthe. score lines where the latter join the ends of the slit. By thisarrangement the easy and complete removal of the removable portion ofthe wall will be accomplished Without difficulty. While the tongues 14%and i4fi"which are applied to the top surface of the removable portions14-4 and 14 have been shown in FIGS. 22 and 25 as being in the form ofstraight strips of metal of substantially constant width throughout, itis not essential to the proper operation of the invention that thetongues be so formed, but the tongues may take other forms, such forexample, as that shown in FIG. 26 where the tongue, which is generallydesignated i, is substantially lozenge shaped and is attached by spotwelding or the like approximately at its center as indicated at 155'.Regardless of the form or shape of the tongue it is, as previouslystated, important that it lie exactly midwaybetween the ends of the slitwhich is adjacent thereto and which slit in FIG. 26 is designated 156.

Broadly summed up, the present invention envisions a receptacle whereina wall is formed to provide a material discharge opening by having inits structure a fixed portion and a fully removable portion and whereinthe said removable portion is secured to the fixed portion by solid,rupturable connecting means separated by a structural form which willpermit the removable portion to be readily separated from the fixedportion when a pull is applied to the removable portion. This conceptencompasses any means by which the desired separation may be easilyaccomplished upon the rupture of the solid connecting means between theportions either by reason of the described slits or by reason of aweakening of the material between the connecting means and it alsoencom- "i2 passes the employment of applied rupturable connecting meansas well as employment oi continuing solid portions of the material ofwhich the receptacle wall is formed. Any of the structural featuresbacked up 'by the sheet of rangible material provides a new concept inthe art of re ceptacles and opening means therefor.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present in vention providesin the several forms or variations thereof, here illustrated anddescribed, a novel means for opening a receptacle or for forming a pouropening in a receptacle wall, particularly a can, wherein the openingmeans is embodied in an integral major portion of the wall and, due tothe novel arrangement of the pull tabs with respect to the slits in thewall defining a portion of the removable part or portion'thereof, suchremovable portion can be quickly and completely separated from thesurrounding part of the wall with one quick snapping or jerking motionafter the tab has been grasped by the fingers. The underlying frangiblesheet thus exposed may then be readily cut out or removed, either byusing an edge portion of the removed metal piece or by means of anyother suitable cutter so as to give access to the interior of thereceptacle.

It will also be seen that the invention may be embodied in a wallsurface of any size or shape and that the removable portionof the wallmay cover or take in any desired area of the wall surface of which itforms a part. It will alsobe-understood that the invention comprehendsthe prefabrication of the can end or cap'whereby any number of the samemay be stacked and handled by conventional can closing or liddingmachinery in the usual manner. Moreover, the manner of removing theremovable portion of the can top is accomplished uniquely in that byapplying one quick pull upwardly to the tab, and in substantially thesame one motion, the removable portion is readily detachedor'disconnected from that portion a of the can top surrounding it andwhich is permanently attached to the can body.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof,rthe presentembodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since thescope of the invention is defined in theappended claims, and all changesthat fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or that form theirfunctional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are thereforeintended to be embraced by those claims.

We claim:

1. A wall construction for areceptacle comprising a body of sheetmaterial adapted for sealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said sheethaving a pull-out portion retained in place by a weakness line in thematerial, and the material of the sheet within the contour of saidportion having a pull tab permanently'fixed thereto, and the pull tabbeing adapted to be bent out and grasped by the .fingers of a human handto facilitate the pulling out and total removal of the portion with thesaid pull tab afilxed thereto.

2. A wall construction fora receptacle comprising a body of sheetmaterial adapted for sealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said sheethaving a pull-out portion retained in place by a weakened line in thematerial, and the material of the sheet within the contour of saidportion having a part thereof which is bendable and positioned to bebent out for grasping by the fingers of the human hand to facilitate thepulling out and total removal of the portion with said part aflixedthereto.

3. A wall construction for a receptacle comprising a body of sheetmaterial having an outwardly disposed portion thereof adapted for sealedattachment to a receptacle wall, said sheet having a pull-out portioninwardly of the outwardly disposed portion and being retained in placeby a weakness line in the material, and the sheet material within thecontour of said portion having a pull tab permanently fixed thereon, andthe pull tab being adapted to i3 be bent out for grasping with only thefingers of the human hand and pulling to effect the simultaneouscomplete separation of the pull-out portion from the outwardly disposedportion and the pulling out of the complete pull-out portion with thesaid tab afiixed to the said pull-out portion.

4. A wall construction for a receptacle comprising a body of sheetmaterial adapted for sealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said sheethaving a pull-out portion retained in place by a weakened line in thematerial, and the material of the sheet within the contour of saidportion having a part thereof adapted to be grasped only by fingers ofthe human hand and pulled to effect the substantial simultaneousseparation of the pull-out portion along the weakened line and thepulling out and removal of the portion with the said part thereof.

5. A can top having a central portion with inner and outer sides and amarginal portion for attachment to a can body, said central portion ofthe top having a rupturable connection with said marginal portionthereof, a onepiece bendable pull tab lying totally within the perimeterof the area defined by the central portion of the top and having aportion thereof permanently fixed to the central portion adjacent to aperimetrical portion thereof, said poll tab having a free portiondirected inwardly toward a perimetrical portion of the top remote fromthe perimetrical portion to which the first mentioned portion of the tabis fixed, and when the said free portion of the tab is grasped andpulled by only the fingers of the human hand, the said connection isruptured and the central portion of the top is thus completely removedwith the said tab afiixed to the said pull-out portion.

6. A can top having a central portion with inner and outer sides and amarginal portion for attachment to a can body, said central portion ofthe top having a rupturable connection with said marginal portionthereof, a one-piece bendable relatively wide pull tab lying totallywithin the perimeter of the area defined by the central portion of thetop and having a portion thereof permanently fixed to the centralportion adjacent to a perimetrical portion thereof, said pull tab havinga free portion directed inwardly in close association with the outersurface of the central por tion of the top and directed toward aperimetrical portion of the top remote from the perimetrical portion towhich the fixed portion of the tab is fixed, and when the said free endportion of the tab is lifted by a finger of the human hand and graspedand pulled by the fingers the said connection is ruptured and thecentral portion of the top is completely thus removed with the said pulltab aifixed thereto.

7. A can top having a central portion with inner and outer sides and amarginal portion for attachment to a can body, said central portion ofthe top having a rupturable connection with said marginal portionthereof, a one-piece sheet material bendable pull tab lying totallywithin the perimeter of the area defined by the central portion of thetop and having an end portion thereof permanently joined to the centralportion adjacent to a perimetrical portion thereof, said pull tab havinga free end portion directed inwardly toward a perimetrical portion ofthe top remote from the perimetrical portion to which the firstmentioned end portion of the tab is joined, and when the free endportion of the tab is lifted by a finger of the human hand and graspedand pulled by the fingers, the said connection is ruptured and thecentral portion of the top becomes completely free and i thus completelyremoved with the said pull tab aifixed thereto.

S. A can top having a central portion with inner and outer sides and amarginal portion for attachment to a can body, said central ortion ofthe top having a rupturable connection with said marginal portionthereof, a onepiece elongated bendable pull tab struck from, integralwith, and substantially coplanar with, and defining an opening in, thematerial of the central portion of the top, said tab being substantiallyof the dimensions of the opening and being disposed therein and closingsame and lying within the perimeter of the area defined by the centralportion of the top and having a portion thereof permanently fixed to thecentral portion, said pull tab having a tree portion directed inwardlytoward a perimetrical portion of the top, and when the free end portionof the tab is lifted by a finger of the human hand and grasped andpulled by the fingers, the said connection is ruptured and the centralportion of the top is thus removed with the said integral pull tabattached thereto.

9. A can top as defined in and by claim 8, wherein a frangible memberextends over the said opening and is disposed on and held in engagementwith the inner side of the can top.

10. A can top as defined in and by claim 8, wherein the central portionof the can top has a continuous slit therein defining the opening andthe pull tab and has a free end and an attached end, the attached end ofthe pull tab being in relatively close proximity to the perimeter of thearea defined by the central portion .of the top, and the pull tab beingadapted to be bent outward for grasping by the said fingers.

11. A can top as defined in and by claim 10, wherein the pull tab has anoutward bow intermediate its ends to project intermediate its endsslightly above the outer side of the central portion of the can top forfacilitating the said lifting and grasping of the pull tab whereby thepull tab may be bent and pulled to remove the central portion from thecan top.

12. A can top as defined in and by claim 11, wherein an imperforatesheet of frangible material overlies the inner side of the centralportion of the can top and is sealed throughout its perimeter to the endof the can body outside of the rupturable connection of the centralportion of the can top with the marginal portion thereof.

13. A one-piece can top as an individual article of manufacture, the topbeing comprised of a central recessed portion surrounded by a relativelynarrow upstanding wall and an outwardly and downwardly extending flangeand the downwardly extending flange being of less width than theupstanding wall, the upstanding wall and the flanges serving as meansfor attachment to the end of a can body, there being a juncture definedwhere the upstanding wall merges from the perimeter of the recessedportion, the juncture having thereat a weakened readily rupturable linecompletely therea'round whichretains the recessed portion of the top andthe upstanding wall in their proper relationship, a readily frangiblemembrane on the inner side of the recessed portion, and pull tab meanscarried by the recessed portion so that this recessed portion when thetab is grasped by the fingers of the human hand and pulled, may becompletely removed from the upstanding wall portion with the pull tabattached thereto.

14. A can top as defined in and by claim 13, wherein the pull tab iselongated and is integral with and struck from the material of therecessed portion of the top thereby forming an opening over which thefrangible membrane extends and into which opening the pull tab ispositioned.

15. In a receptacle, a wall having a contour defining perimeter, thewall portion circumscribed by said perimeter being of a relatively thintearable material, said material being structurally modified along afull circular line lying closely adjacent to said perimeter in a mannerto facilitate complete removal of the major part of the wall lyingwithin said perimeter, said structural modification along said lineconsisting of a weakened reduced thickness of the material through themajor extent of said line and a slit through the material along a minorextent of the line, and means carried by the wall material within thearea circumscribed by said line for grasping by the fingers of the humanhand and exerting a manual tear-out pull upon the material between theends of said slit whereby the entire wall portion lying within saidcircular line together with said means is removable by one quick pullthereon.

16. A cap for closing an end of a receptacle such as a can, said capcomprising a plate having a peripheral flange adapted for joinder to anedge of a wall of a receptacle, said plate being of relatively thintearable material, said -material being structurally modified in thearea of the cap circumscribed by said flange by a continuous linedefining a part of the wall to be removed, and said structuralmodification along said continuous line consisting of a weakened reducedthickness of the material through a major extent of the line and a slitextending entirely through the plate material along a minor extent ofthe line, and a pull tab attached to the said part of the wall, close tothe slit, and within the area circumscribed by said line and formed tobe grasped and pulled by the fingers of the human hand, and efiect thesimultaneous removal of the said part and the pull tab joined thereto.

17. The invention according to claim 15, wherein the attachment of thepull tab is between the center of the wall and the slit and centrallybetween the ends of the slit whereby upon application of an outward pullto the tab by fingers of the human hand, tearing strain will be appliedsimultaneously and with equal force to the weakened thickness ofthe'material at the ends of the slit.

18. The invention according to claim 16, wherein the attachment of thepull tab is between the center of the wall and the slit and centrallybetween the ends of the slit whereby upon application of an outward pullto the 'tab by fingers of the human hand, tearing strain will be appliedsimultaneously and with equal force to the weakened thickness of thematerial at the ends of the slit.

19. A receptacle having a first wall defined by a flange, the wallflange comprising a locking head between the said first wall and anotherwall of the receptable, said first wall having a structural modificationalong a line circumscribing a section thereof intended for removal toprovide an access opening into the can, the said modification of thefirst wall through a major part of said line being in the form of aweakened thickness of the material of the wall and a pair of slitsextending through the wall .in diametrically spaced locations, and apull tab attached to said section closely adjacent to one of said slitsand formed to be grasped by fingers of the human hand and pulled toseparate said first wall section from said locking bead along said lineof weakness.

29. The invention according to claim 16, wherein the tab comprises abody integral with and cut from the material of the wall.

first wall and another wall of the receptacle, an imperforate sheet ofthin frangible material secured over the inner surface of said firstwall, said first wall having a structural modification along a linecircumscribing a sec tion thereof intended for removal to expose saidimperforate sheet, the said modification of the first wall through amajor part of said line being in the form of a weakened thickness of thematerial of the wall and a pair of slits extending through the wall indiametrically spaced locations, and a pull tab attached to said sectionclosely adjacent to one of said slits and formed to be grasped byfingers of the human hand and pulled to separate said circumscribedsection of the first wall from the said locking bead along said line ofweakened thickness of the material.

23. The invention according to claim 22, wherein the said tab comprisesin the major part thereof a cut out portion of the wall section, theremaining part of the tab forming the attachment of the tab to the wallsection.

24. The invention according to claim 21, wherein the and is bowedoutwardly from the wall section intermediate its ends to facilitategrasping between fingers. v

25. A wall construction for a receptacle comprising an imperforate bodyof sheet material adapted for sealed attachment to a receptacle wall,said sheet material having a pull-out portion retained in place byreadily fracturable line of weakness in the material, and the materialof the sheet within the contour of said portion having a pull tab weldedpermanently thereon, and the pull tab being adapted to be bent out forgrasping with the fingers of the human hand to facilitate the pullingout and complete removal of the portion with the pull tab affixedthereto.

26. A wall construction for a receptacle comprising an imperforate bodyof sheet material adapted for sealed attachment to a receptacle wall,said sheet material having a pull-out portion retained in place by areadily fracturable line of weakening'in the material, and the materialof the sheet within the contour of said portion having a part thereonwelded thereto and adapted to be bent out for grasping with the fingersof the human hand to facilitate the pulling out and complete removal ofthe portion and the pull tab afiixed thereto by an upward motion in asubstantially vertical plane.

27. An imperforate can top having a central portion with inner and outersides and a marginal portion for with said marginal portion thereof, aone-piece bendable pull tab for grasping with the fingers of the humanhand and lying within the perimeter of the area defined by the centralportion of the top and having'a portion thereof permanently welded tothe central portion adjacent to a perimetrical portion thereof, saidpull tab having a free portion directed inwardly toward a perimetricalportion of the top remote from the perimetrical portion to which thefirst mentioned portion of the tab is fixed, whereby when the freeportion of the tab is lifted by a finger and grasped and is pulledupward with the fingers in a substantially vertical plane the centralportion ofthe top is completely removed with the pull tab affixedthereto,

28. A wall construction for a receptacle as defined in 1 and by claim 26wherein the body of sheet material has an inner surface, a frangiblematerial extending over said inner surface of the sheet material andincluding that part thereof which underlies the readily fracturablesingle line of weakness.

29. An imperforate can top as defined in and by claim 27 whereinfracturable material extends over the inner side of the can top andincludes that portion thereof underlying the readily fracturable singleline rupturable connection.

SilJAn end wall unit for attachment to the end of a can body, said unitbeing comprised of a circumscribing rim portion for permanent attachmentto the can body, the said rim portion having integral therewith acentral portion detachably connected thereto to provide an opening inthesaid unit when said central portion is removed from the rim portion,said rim portion having a top edge and an inside wall part, the saidcentral portion lying in a plane below the said top edge of the rimportion and meeting said inside wall part to form an inside cornerangle, said central portion being demarcated by a separable line ofdivision lying in said angle closely adjacent to said inside wall partand providing for complete detachment'and removal of the central portionfrom said rim portion, said central portion when detached from said rimportion along said line of division in said'angle leaving the rimportion attached to the wall of the can with an edge at the said insidecorner angle, and a pull tab permanently carried by said detachablecentral portion and completely within the area defined by said line ofdivision and lying below the said top edge of said rim and the pull tabbeing adapted for bending upwardly by a human finger and to be graspedby the fingers of a human hand for pulling outwardly on the tab and thuscompletely separating the said central portion completely andcontinuously along said line of division from said rim portion andallowing the central portion only to be completely removed along withthe attached pull tab and providing the said opening.

31. An end wall unit for attachment to the end of a can body, the saidunit consisting of a body of sheet metal having a circumscribing portionforming a rim adapted for permanent attachment to an end of a can bodywall, the said sheet metal body including a central portion detachablyjoined to the rim at spaced intervals therearound by integral,fracturable tongues to provide an opening in the said body of sheetmetal when said tongues are broken and said central portion is removedfrom the rim portion, said rim portion having a top edge and an insidewall part, the said central portion lying in a plane below the said topedge of the rim portion and meeting said inside wall part to form aninside corner angle, said central portion being demarcated by arcuateslits in the sheet metal body forming a separable line of division lyingin said angle closely adjacent to said inside wall part and saidfracturable tongues lying in said angle between and separating adjacentends of said slits and when fractured providing complete separation ofthe central portion along said line of division in said angle from saidrim portion, forming said opening in the body of sheet metal and leavingsaid rim portion attached to the wall of the can with an edge at thesaid inside corner angle, the said spaced apart tongues each being of awidth materially less than the length of each of said slits, a sheet offrangible material secured against the underside of said body of sheetmetal and covering and sealing said slits, and a pull tab permanentlycarried by said detachable central portion within the area defined bysaid line of division and lying below the said top edge of said rim, thesaid pull tab being bendable and having a free end and being formed tobe engaged by a human finger for raising said free end and to be graspedand bent outwardly by the fingers of a human hand for pulling outwardlyon the tab and on the central portion to thereby fracture said attachingtongues and separate the said central portion completely along said lineof division from the rim portion and the attached complete removal ofthe central portion and pull tab.

32. A wall construction for a receptacle, said wall constructioncomprising a body of sheet material having integral peripheral means forsealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said body of sheet materialhaving a pullout portion retained in place by a readily fracturable lineof weakness in the material, and the said pull-out portion having a pulltab secured thereto by rivet means and the pull tab being adapted to bebent out with a finger of the human hand and grasped between the fingersof the human hand to facilitate pulling out and complete re moval of thesaid portion with the said pull tab affixed thereto.

33. A wall construction for a receptacle, said wall constructioncomprising a body of sheet material having integral peripheral means forsealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said body of sheet materialhaving a pullout portion retained in place by a readily fracturable lineof weakness in the material, a pull tab lying upon the surface of thebody of sheet material and rivet means securing the pull tab to the saidpull-out portion, and said pull tab having an end adapted to be engaged,bent out and lifted by a finger of the human hand and grasped betweenthe fingers of the human hand to facilitate pulling out and completeremoval of the portion with the said pull tab affixed thereto.

34;. A wall construction for a receptacle, said wall constructioncomprising a body of sheet material having integral peripheral means forsealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said body of sheet materialhaving a portion thereof retained in place by a readily fracturable lineof weakness in the material and designed to be torn out along said lineof weakness, an elongate pull tab lying upon the surface of the body ofsheet material, and rivet means securing the pull tab at one end to thesaid portion, and the other end of said pull tab being adapted to beengaged by a finger of the human hand and lifted and bent out andgrasped between the fingers of the human hand to facilitate pulling outand complete removal of the said portion with the said pull tab afiixedthereto.

A wall construction for a receptacle comprising a body of sheet materialformed for sealed attachment to a receptacle wall, said sheet having apull-out portion retained in place by a weakness line in the material ofthe sheet, a pull tab on the sheet material and permanently affixedthereto within the contour of said pull-out portion, and the said pulltab comprising a body of readily bendable material disposed to begrasped with only the fingers of the human hand and bent out and pulledto efiect the simultaneous complete separation of the pull-out portionfrom the adjoining portion of the sheet and the pulling out of thecomplete pull-out portion With the said tab aflixed to said pull-outportion.

References fitted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,532 1/22Wright 21551 1,520,403 12/24 Coates 2155l 2,029,328 2/ 36 Ljungstrom220-52 2,029,329 2/ 36 Ljungstrom 22052 2,082,760 6/37 Berni 220482,085,200 6/ 37 Ljungstrom.

2,092,671 9/37 Hildebrandt 22052 2,146,226 2/39 Punte 2297 2,615,61010/52 White 2297 2,652,148 9/53 Pfeifer 220-63 2,781,149 2/57 Fried220-48 2,790,577 4/57 Fried 22048 2,821,326 1/58 Fried 22048 THERON E.CONDON, Primary Examiner. EARLE 3. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

1. A WALL CONSTRUCTION FOR A RECEPTACLE COMPRISING A BODY OFSHEETMATERIAL ADAPTED FOR SEALED ATTACHMENT TO A RECEPTACLE WALL, SAID SHEETHAVING A PULL-OUT PORTION RETAINED IN PLACE BY A WEAKNESS OLINE IN THEMATERIAL, AND THE MATERIAL OF THE SHEET WITHIN THE CONTOUR OF SAIDPORTION HAVINGA PULL TAB PERMANENTLY FIXED THERETO, AND THE PULL TABBEING ADAPTED TO BE BENT OUT AND GRASPED BY THE FINGERS OF A HUMAN HANDTO FACILITATE THE PULLING OUT AND TOTAL REMOVAL OF THE PORTION WITH THESAID PULL TAB AFFIXED THERETO.